Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-04

landed to storm the positions under fire
from the floating batteries.
The whole OF the long, wavy grass and
dense bushes by the river side seemed
alive with musketry, while deep and
hoarse came the booming of our CT
FOUNDERS, the great shot of which at
times went humming over the batteries
and trenches into the open ground be-
yono.
The thin blqe smoke of the adverse
rifles and cannons curled through and en-
velOped the dropping msngrOves thst
! fringed the river bank, and rolled along
its surface. rising but slowly theretrom,
as the atmosphere was close, still and
heavy.
The naval brigade threw shells into the
enemy's earthWorks with wonderful
rapiditY and precision; but two hours
oombardment was required to silence the
fire from the latter, when the defenders
drew eff into the jungle, st!eT severe
loss in killed ald wounded, while, IN that
quarter, we had only two Blue Jackets
slightly nit; but, nit by one of the last
shots that came from the fugitives flying
into the Jungle, was The giddy Young spb ,
Cecil Travere, the handsome boy attached
to the Governors body guards. He fell
forward his face, hi ia the heart, anG
never moved agaIn.
The fire Of our mscbine guns proved
especially destructive and terrible. U.s.
der it, entire groups Of Burmese, in shiD-
lag helmets and gorgeous GuGics Ct low
cred stuff, fell in heaps, from whicp, per-
haDs, one or more might be seen to stag
ger up, or crawl away in agony, only 10
sink and perish little further on.
On the flight of the enemy, 8 detach
ment cf the Liverpool Regiment, smother
Of the Eleventh. Bom3ey, and company
OF Sappers, were LETT 20 form g garrison
in My&n Cyan.
Wesried by the events OF the day, Ions
dali was returning to the fJtills, which
had orders to proceed slowly up tae
river.
Threading his way in the dusk, where
the stems of the ebony end bsnyan trees
stood up ia black and Opaque outlines
against the red and purple quarter of the
sky where the sun had set, leaving
flush, as of blood, upon the pools, the
swamps and the currents OF the IraWaddy
threading his wsy, we say, among the
dead and wounded who strewed all the
vicinity of the enemy's works, 8 groen, 8
voice he knew, arrested his steps; and TO
his distress and dismay he found that he
had nearly stumbled over the thoughtless
and needless young lieutenant, Charlie
Danvers, who, like his chum Travers, was
also on the general staff, and now lay on
his back dying Of mortal wound, with
bells Of blood and foam oozing from his
lips.
Yet he knew Lonsdale, and his eyes,
sad aud weird in expression, rested
anxiously, clingingly, on his face, as the
former bent over him.
The lad seemed quite conscious. but
unable to speak.
"Poor Charlie-uy poor fellow" es-
capped Lonsdale's lips unconsciously.
The dying lad, in whose breast the
fragment of shell had lodged. driving
the ribs into the lungs, made more thsn
one most painful effort TO mutter come
thing that sounded ike G. farewell m S.
sage to someone; so Lonsdals bent over
him lower still to catch the words, SO
terribly important now, but In vain.
Then suddenly Chxrlie raised himself
SO if by q superhumau attempt, aud
while q smile, 6 wonderful brightness,
Shone for moment in his eyes AMI on
his face, he cried, in strange and broken
voice:
"Mother-mother here"
A visionary and well-loved face had
lowered before him for moment-s
of happy but distempered fancy,
and then he fell back dead.
Lonsdaie fingered near him sadly for
moment or two, aud after reverently
closing his eyes, turned away in great
sorrow. Prayers were not much in his
way; thus Byron's line occurred to him:
All Il at we know Is, nothing can be known.
But poor, thoughtless Charlie DanVers
now knew all.
The two young friends were gone; two
more lives lost in that remote and almost
obscure strife; tut it was their fate and
he fortune of war.
To be Continued Neat WeeE.